Effectively Wild Episode 2020: Boo This Manfred

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley review the most disappointing teams of 2023, ultimately anointing one team as the most disappointing and trying to identify which of the contenders for the “most disappointing” title is most likely to turn things around by the end of the season. Then (32:21) they discuss A’s fans’ reverse boycott, the seemingly sealed deal for the A’s to move to Las Vegas, the viability of Vegas as an MLB market, commissioner Rob Manfred’s maddening comments about all of the above, the 20th anniversary of Moneyball coinciding with the A’s ugly exit from Oakland, the legacy of the book, and more, plus a Past Blast (1:17:56) from 2020.

Audio intro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to preseason playoff odds
Link to preseason playoff odds changes
Link to Sheehan’s run differential tweet
Link to Sheehan on the Jays
Link to MLBTR on Nevada votes
Link to FG on the reverse boycott
Link to The Athletic on the reverse boycott
Link to BP on the reverse boycott
Link to Manfred’s comments
Link to Oakland mayor’s response
Link to Tim Kawakami on Manfred
Link to Defector on Las Vegas
Link to Sheehan on Las Vegas
Link to Ken/Evan on front-office spending
Link to Sam Schultz thread
Link to Sam Schultz EW episode
Link to R.J. on front office unionization
Link to Ben/Rob’s 2016 study
Link to 2020 follow-up study
Link to Moneyball Act info
Link to Michael Lewis on SABRcast
Link to 2020 Past Blast source
Link to David Lewis’s Twitter
Link to David Lewis’s Substack
Link to MLBTR on the governor signing
Link to Manfred’s Pride Night comments
Link to SABRcast book episode
Link to Ringer-Verse gaming episode

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